57 Switzerland It is elected role held for a period of four years. In Zurich the electing body is the City Parliament of Zurich (Gemeinderat). In the Cantons the electing body is the Cantonal Council. There is no National Ombudsman. Local Ombudsmen such as in the city of Zurich or in the Cantons are competent to deal with complaints against the police in that area. organisation of the Swedish Police Authority. City or Canton Ombudsman Offices act as mediator between citizens and civil authorities. When a complaint is lodged, it assesses whether the authorities in question have acted in accordance with their duties and the law, states its opinion on the matter and – where appropriate – strives to find a satisfactory solution for both sides. Prosecution Office, complaints filed against police officials, police students The Ombudsman Office does not, however, have the right to intervene in ongoing legal proceedings. The Ombudsman Office can be consulted at any stage of a procedure. City or Canton Ombudsman Offices are responsible for all matters concerning the government bodies or administration offices of the cities or cantons. officers and includes complaints against prosecutors and jail guards To fulfill this role, the Ombudsman Offices have farreaching investigative rights: – unrestricted access to official documents; – the right to demand that the authorities at all levels provide information on request; – the right to carry out on-site inspections; For its part, the Ombudsman Offices are obliged to maintain confidentiality. The Ombudsman Offices are not empowered to take decisions or issue directives. Instead, they provides City or Canton Ombudsman Offices assesse whether the authorities in question have acted in accordance with their duties and the law, and strives to find a fair solution. investigations work with, it's always a prosecutor who decides whether an investigation should be started or not. The prosecutor then leads the investigations where a criminal investigation has begun.